Collins has chosen mogging, slang for outshining someone or something, as its word of the year. The expression spread from bodybuilding communities into wider everyday use, including playful comparisons among younger speakers. The shortlist also includes terms about games, jobs and hairstyles, extending the dictionary publisher’s selection across several areas of popular culture.
Collins, the English dictionary publisher, selected mogging as its word of the year on November 3. The word describes outshining another person or thing in appearance, confidence or status. Both The Guardian and Euronews report the choice. The Guardian traces its early use to bodybuilding culture around 2016, before it spread through online communities and became everyday slang.[1], [2]
The expression is believed to be a shortened form of an English phrase meaning the dominant male in a group. Euronews places its earlier use in bodybuilding forums and online communities promoting aggressive masculinity. Its account says younger speakers now commonly use the word playfully or teasingly. The Guardian gives examples extending comparison beyond people to video games and homemade bread.[1], [2]
The shortlist includes ghost job, an advertised position an employer has no intention of filling, and bixie, a hairstyle combining a bob and a pixie cut. Both outlets describe these entries. The Guardian also describes friendslop as low-budget multiplayer independent games that put social play ahead of elaborate graphics, and fricy as a blend of fruity and spicy used for food flavours.[1], [2]
